How to save money

Save money in a piggy bankSometimes the oldways to save money are the best, get yourself a cheap piggy bank and get saving. If you want to save more money wash out an old jam jar to use.

Investments
Look up online what the best investments are, consider using cash ISA’s or investing in property or shares. Carefully read all the small print before signing up for anything new.

Comparison websites
You can save a fortune online simply by comparing the costs of your regular outgoings in any one of a number of online comparison sites. Whether it’s electricity and gas or simply car insurance, without comparing prices online you might be paying an awful lot more than you need to.

Rip up your credit card up
Credit cards can be very useful, but if you have too many of them or are all too keen to spend money that you do not have on them you should consider cutting them up and avoiding using them. If you are already accruing interest on outstanding credit ensure that you are meeting the minimum repayments at least.

Downsize your assets
It might be nice to drive around in a 4 litre diesel £30k car but consider downsizing to a smaller one for an instant cash boost and longer term saving solution.

Use cash not cardWe are all guilty of buying things we don’t need, but are you truly aware of the amount you are spending or do you just put it on your contactless card? Try getting your cash out at the beginning of the week and only spending cash. You’ll be surprised how much you can save without using a card.

Change your bank accounts: make use of introductory offersConsider changing bank, many offer cash incentives for switching if not better introductory interest rates on saving and loans.

Change where you shop
Have you ever considered that where you shop for everyday items could be costing you a lot more than shopping elsewhere. Using cheaper supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl can save a lot of money on basic items over the leading retail brands.

Money saving blogs and sitesSites like Money Saving Expert are very useful and can provide you with more money saving tips on a regular basis.

Turn down thermostatTurning down your thermostat even a small amount can create massive savings on your heating bill. Try to use jumpers and coats instead.

Grow your own your own vegetablesVegetable seeds cost a fraction of the price of the vegetables themselves,when you consider how many seeds and vegetables you get it’s an obvious saving on buying your vegetables. Whether you’ve got green fingers or never grown before give it a go.

Brew your own beerBeer is great, but the cost of a pint at the local is increasing all the time and it’s quite easy to spend £30-50 at the pub in a long evening. Try brewing your own beer, the kits to do so have come down in price and are regularly available.

Clean your own carOften go to a car wash, with a bit of soap, hot water , a sponge and some elbow grease you can get the same effect but at half the price. Plus you get that beautiful sense of satisfaction of a job well done.

DIY household jobsThere are thousands of how-to videos on the internet freely available teaching you how to do everything from fixing your car to making benches and basic plumbing. Don’t spend a fortune on basic services if you can do it yourself.

Camping not GlampingHolidays are great, but instead of jetting off somewhere hot consider staying at home and camping. You can get a great relaxing week away for less than half the price of going abroad. Though glamping is nice, it’s far cheaper to buy a secondhand tent and go local instead.